grateful

It has been quite a while since we have had rain and the plants and trees look so sad and thirsty. Late yesterday afternoon, I had been pleading to God for rain as I had done recently. Then, it occurred to me that I was praying amiss. All at once I knew in my heart that God knows our every need and surely this was a need. Remembering how Jesus always became thankful before every healing, I, too, began to thank God for always being in control. In about twenty minutes, my husband asked if I heard the rain! It probably rained good for a half hour or more. Needless to say, my heart filled with gratitude and humility as I listened to the answer to my prayer. Psalm 62:8 reads, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”

This morning I am working in the 12th chapter of Luke where it reads in verses 16 and 17 “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?'” There is no evidence of his cheating or mistreating others, but his error seemed to be of his self-absorption and thinking only of wealth and ease materially.

This brought to mind when I am struggling with a challenge, I begin to have “tunnel vision” and am only concerned with a solution to this problem. Right then, right there is when I should turn wholeheartedly to God and listen for that still, soft voice. Where that obsession to relief is sometimes keeps me from the spiritual growth that is much needed! It is never about me but always about learning more about God and my relationship with Him. I am so grateful for that.

Yesterday, I read a post on Facebook that said “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Heaven had visiting hours?” Immediately, I thought “Yes, it does and as a matter of fact, it is open twenty-four seven!” Why do we think we have to relocate to experience Heaven when joy surrounds us? We have a choice on experiencing Heaven or Hell any time. It is always our views on a situation. So often, man thinks things will be better hereafter or here-later when Heaven can be right here, right now!

By being grateful for blessings we already have opens us up to more. John 17:1 reads “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to Heaven, and said, Father the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:” Not tomorrow, but now.

My husband was telling me of something he had read that I loved and certainly related to it. Someone had posted online that he had been in a Dollar Store and there was a mom, toddler and older child when the toddler began crying for a pack of glow sticks. She opened the package and gave him a glow stick and he was happy until the older child took it from him.

Just when the mother was going to jump the older child, he bent the stick and gave it back to his younger brother and the stick began to glow to the toddler’s delight. “I had to bend it so it would glow!” he said. The man watching this almost ran from the store because in his thought, he could hear God saying “I had to break you first so you could glow.” This brought tears to my eyes as I could know this for the Truth for me.

Colossians 1:27 states “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Sometimes, we must be broken first.

So often it is tempting to think our supply is limited, when, in fact, it is omnipresent and unlimited. One may think that his supply comes from an employer, a spouse, an inheritance, etc. but that is only when our thoughts are closed and negative. When Jesus was asked about paying taxes, Matthew 17:27 reads, “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” That, to me, shows me that our supply can come from any place when we fill our thoughts with gratitude. Gratitude brings riches, not just sometime but all the time! Today I will be grateful for everything.

My husband and I just returned from a 2300 mile road trip, which, while glorious, the temptation to feel exhausted is obvious upon our return. This morning, at my desk, I quietly asked God to lead me to a verse with which to pray and was led to Isaiah 40:28-29 and it reads, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”

Every human need I ever have is fulfilled by Divine Love. Today, I will be grateful and remember that.

Last week someone who lives in another state called me to ask if we could pray about their weather there. They were under horrible conditions and predictions about tornados. “Of course,” I replied. This afternoon she called me and while we visited, she mentioned on the news there had been a huge, horrible dark green tornado photographed and shown last week. Rather than land anywhere, it later dissipated.

Further into our conversation, she remarked she just had her doubts about prayer sometime and I was flabbergasted. Not ten minutes before she had told me about the tornado that had been spotted but never landed. We had specifically prayed for protection regarding the weather and as far as I was concerned, the prayer was certainly answered. Micah 7:7 states, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

Today, I will be grateful for everything, even the answered prayers I forget or fail to notice.